August 2006
Our trip back to Ipswich on the east coast of the UK was fairly fraught. We had learned that there was a problem with dry rot in our living room and cellar that needed to be attended to by the builders who had converted our appartment. For those who do not know, we live on the ground floor of a converted Victorian mansion dating back to the 1830s. In the photo our rooms lie to the right of the steps and have the window blinds down. The photo is an old one and the terrace has now been developed as a container garden with canary palms and yuccas which are doing well.
We ended up living in chaos for most of the month and were less than pleased, especially as we are planning to let (rent out) the appartment while we are enjoying ourselves abroad. All was well in the end and we did find some time to play as well.

This is the Q Tower in Felixstowe where my sister and brother-in-law now live
We live in the lower floor to the right of the steps up to the terrace. This has been plnted as a container garden for easy care.
My sister Mary in front of the Q Tower
The 'drawbridge' links the tower to the other side of the moat

We were particularly excited to be able to visit Mike’s sister and her family in their new home - a Martello Tower! These towers were built around the south and east coasts of the UK as part of the defences against an invasion by Napoleon who was then emperor of France. The towers are all ‘listed’ buildings because of their historic and architectural significance and some of them have been converted over the years into dwellings. The east coast towers have alphabetical designations and this one is the ‘Q’ tower.
We had been instrumental in suggesting this dwelling to Mary and John when we noticed it for sail before we started cruising and we knew they had fallen in love with it. It overlooks the sea from the town of Felixstowe in Suffolk and there are great views of all the shipping going to and from Harwich, Felixstowe and Ipswich ports. Our visit coincided with a family barbecue and we had the good luck to be able to catch up with them all.

Katy, Fazil, Pippa, John, Angie, Jo, Dave and Rachel enjoying drinks and nibbles on the roof with the North Sea behind
A family picnic on the lawn. John wanted cannons with the tower and found there were two!
Ivan and Tom attend the barbecues
The Q Tower from the seaward side of the moat
Jo and Eleanor enjoy the funfair close by their home
One of the wall tiles in Postmans' Park - they celebrate heroism and loss of life over a period of about 50 years around the end of the 19th century
The Tower of London with the Green Gherkin next door
Tower Bridge

For those who need to know, Martello Towers are cam shaped rather than round to help deflect cannon balls away from the seaward face. The walls are up to 16 feet thick and have been hollowed out in places to make windows or even parts of rooms!
We spent a great weekend with Jo (eldest daughter) and Eleanor (youngest daughter) at their new flat in London. We visited the local funfair and spent a day being typical tourists in the City of London. We found Postman’s Park near St Bartholomew’s Hospital where Mike trained and located the plaque about Alice Ayres used in the film ‘Closer’. (Did not photograph well.) We walked for miles and thoroughly enjoyed seeing old haunts with Eleanor and her boyfriend Martin. You can take London for granted all too easily... Ah well - back to the Chesapeake Bay!

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